contact with several states. he told uses threats have been narrowed down to a couple of cell phones. that is new information tonight. we are watching this one closely and we will keep you posted. all that. and a tumor that wasn't a baby.

good morning, everyone. i'm lynn berry. as syria's regime appears to be crumbling, leon panetta announced today that 400 u.s. troops were be deployed to turkey to protect against a potential syrian missile attack. now, officials say the move is largely a symbolic show of force to signal the u.s. will support the defense of turkey. today russia is denying that one of its top diplomats said that president bashar al assad is losing control of his country. nbc is live for us in cairo. he has the latest. ayman, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. a series of rapid developments inside and outside the country. inside syria, first of all, rebels announced they made very important gains on the outskirts of the city of aleppo and the

capital damascus. in aleppo they're reporting to have taken over a military base belonging to the regime and in damascus, they've taken over a military installation on the outside of that country's airport. that also links to the issue of outside support for the syrian regime, including russia which says it will stand by president bashar al assad despite comments yesterday from a senior russian official acknowledging that in fact president ais losing control of that country to the opposition. as you mentioned today, the united states sent a symbolic show of force to turkey and nato member along with the dutch government. they have now deployed patriotic missiles, a defense system that will include 400 american operators to work that system for the turkish government. lynn? >> ayman, thanks so much. back here at home after taking herself out of the running as secretary of state, susan rice is keeping her eye on ball, meeting with the president at the white house today. on twitter last night, rice

rallied followers under the hash tag let's go. saying we have a lot work to do for the american people and the world. and rice was even more specific in a "washington post" oh-ed, listing jobs, the deficit and national security among her top priorities. nbc's danielle lee as more. >> reporter: united nations ambassador susan rice was seen as president obama's favorite to follow secretary of state hillary clinton. now she has withdrawn her name from consideration. in an exclusive interview with nbc's brian williams for rock center, rice explained her decision. >> i didn't want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting and very disruptive, because there are so many things we need to get done as a country. >> reporter: president obama accepted her decision and praised rice during an interview with nbc affiliate kcra. >> she's done an outstanding job. i could not be prouder with her.

>> reporter: rice was widely criticized by republicans who accused her of downplaying the september 11th attack at the u.s. consulate in benghazi. rice attributed the attacks to an angry mob. later, it was revealed that u.s. intelligence knew al qaeda was involved. rice said she was not given that information. some republicans said they would block her no, ma'am nation to become secretary of state. >> today i made the decision it was the best thing for our country, for the american people, that i not continue to be considered by the president. >> and rice's announcement makes massachusetts senator john kerry the likely front-runner to be the nation's top diplomat. there's one week to go before congress is supposed to head home for the holidays. as of right now, there's no deal on that year-end fiscal cliff. tracie potts has the latest on this. after so-called frank talks during president obama and house

speaker john boehner's second face-to-face in a week, people are hoping for good news there. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: wish we had some to deliver. from all accounts there is still a stalemate in washington over preventing these tax hikes and spending cuts that are coming at the end of the year. you describe them the aides to both sides describe the discussion yesterday, as frank. earlier this week they called it tense. none of that apparently really indicating any progress. for just under an hour, the presidentance republican speaker john boehner met in the oval office. the president still refusing not to go up on tax rates for the wealthy, boehner insisting that the president cut more government spending. so the bottom line is they don't seem to have any sort of agreement here. as you noted, the senate breaks next friday. in fact, some house members have already started to leave. lynn? >> tracie potts there for us in washington. thank you. now here's your "first look" at this morning's dish of

1kr578ib1kr57 scrambled politics. grover norquist seems to think we might go over the fiscal cliff and taxes will go up in the new year. he says, quote, january 1st is not the end of the fight, it's the beginning of the fight. former pennsylvania governor ed rendell is not impressed. >> we voted for grover norquist. he is in my judgment the wizard of oz. you peel back the curtain and there's nobody there. the latest nbc news/"wall street journal" poll says 76% would accept raising taxes on those making more than $250,000 a year. only 22% find that unacceptable. we told you about the sequel to the movie "game change." that will be made about this year's presidential election. on "late night with jimmy fallon" he had reaction to that. >> some tv news. hbo is planning a new movie based on the 2012 election, similar to "game change."

the network said they're not sure who will be playing mitt romney. then mitt romney said, i'm not doing anything. >> a new poll found 44% of americans believe santa claus is a democrat. 28% say he's a republican. senators and republicans put their differences aside and exchanged secret santa presents with a $10 limit. utah republican mike lee gave vermont democrat and batman enthusiastic patrick leahy a batman snuggie. i didn't know those existed. happy holidays. last night filmmaker and michael moore told ed schultz he is determined to change his state's newly enacted right to work law that says private and public workers do not have to pay union fees. take a listen. >> they know people don't

support what their doing. that's why they had to rush this thing through before january 1st. same reason they had voter suppression. why would you suppress the vote if you thought the majority of americans were conservative? you have to suppress the vote because you know you're in the minority. it's an admission on their part they know the american people don't like the republicans or the conservative philosophy. we're a different country now. and i think a lot of them don't have a clue about that. they think they're going to get away with it and they're not. everybody is fighting mad in michigan. we're not going to stop. >> you can watch ed schultz every weeknight at 8:00 p.m. right here on msnbc. let's get a check of the weather with nbc meteorologist bill karins. men often times need help when looking for christmas gifts. batman snuggie? just a suggestion. >> you'd like to see me in a batman snuggie.

>> yes, take a picture of that. we're deal, a storm system in the southwest. it's actually poured overnight in areas that don't get a lot of rain, yuma, arizona, phoenix, arizona. this is the storm system moving across the country over the upcoming weekend. it won't affect you this morning or this afternoon. but eventually this storm will bring rain and gloomy weather to new england come sunday. right now, though, it's a beautiful picturesque morning, everywhere east of the rockies, high pressure is in control. it's not all that cold out there. temperatures have warmed up in the midwest. temperatures should be nice, a beautiful afternoon in so many spots. really the only spots that are cold. by their standards, it isn't that chilly. new england, some spots in the 20s, too. the forecast for today, a gorgeous day, a picture perfect friday, ordered up special for lynn today. 59 in atlanta. we could see a few showers late today. that's after dark in areas of texas. as we get to the weekend forecast, len, it does look like

on the eastern seaboard saturday is your day. because sunday could be a little rainy, kind of ugly. >> stay in, watch some football. thanks so much. the royal hoax deejays in a safe house. a california judge's incredible rape cents and the friendliest, cleanest and safest cities to visit. plus, the bizarre stories of doctors treating a little baby with a feather sticking out of her neck. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] citi turns 200 this year.

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some stories making news this morning. superior court judge derek johnson of southern california is being publicly admonished for saying a rape victim doesn't put up a fight during her assault. and by saying if someone doesn't want sexual intercourse, the body, quote, will not permit that to happen. a judicial review panel said his comments were inappropriate and

a breach of ethics. i should say so. the deejays behind the royal hoax gone wrong reportedly have moved into a safe house after receiving death threats. the body of the british nurse who committed suicide has been released for burial. an update on nelson mandela. a government spokesperson says he's still in the hospital and is responding well to a treatment for a lung infect but there is no word on when he will be released. former president george h.w. bush can look forward to heading home soon according to doctors. doctors have said the 41st president should be home in time for christmas. president obama welcomed some 600 people to the white house. a reception to mark hanukkah, the jewish festival of lights. the event included the lighting of candles on a 90-year-old menorah from a new york temple that was flooded by superstorm sandy sandy. and just a spectacular light show to show you. it's going on right now as the earth passes through the tail of an asteroid.

it's the peek of the annual meteor shower. you may be able to see it as many as 160 of them. they'll be streaking across the sky. pop your head out when you get a chance. now for the friday morning markets. the dow opens the 13,170 after falling 74 points on thursday. s&p was down 9. the nasdaq lost 21. taking a look at overseas trading, the nikkei was down 5 points but the hang seng climbed 160. as fiscal cliff talks continue to drive markets today a new citigroup survey finds an even split on whether congress will reach that agreement on a tax and spending deal before the end of the year. elsewhere, sprint/nextel's offers a $2 million offer to buy clearwire sent the stocks soaring thursday. in other deal news, yahoo! seems to be interested in acquiring the up and coming news app summly, which was apparently

launched by a 17-year-old. meanwhile, congress is considering closing a loophole that allows software companies to sell the new cyberstalking apps that allow you to track the whereabouts of a spouse. you may not recognize this man but norman joseph woodland, made your life a whole lot easier. the 91-year-old who invented the bar code. he died on sunday. during a visit to the royal vaults, queen elizabeth asked some experts why nobody saw the financial crisis coming. after hearing it compared to an earthquake that couldn't be predicted her majesty said it seemed more like some people had gotten a bit lax. keeping it simple. the skies may not be friendly onboard cathay pacific airlines this month. flight attendants locked into a bitter pay dispute are threatening to withhold food, alcohol and even smiles. come on, smiles? and trip adviser is out with annual cities surveys. new york ranks as best for shopping.

sunny cancun has the friendliest locals, tokyo has the cleanest streets and lisbon has the best bang for your buck. and the moscow got the worst shopping, moscow, the rudest people, and mumbai packing plenty of cash if you're going to oslo. coming up next, usain bolt. the lakers can't catch a break. plus, we'll tell you why these eagles are getting lots of attention. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] ♪ [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help.

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here's your "first look" at some of the other news going on around america today. just some disturbing surveillance video here. it was captured moments after shots rang out on the philadelphia subway after the 76ers/bulls game. police say a teen backed out of the train while firing at a bulls fan who was shot in the stomach. a bystander was hit in the leg. both are recovering while police search for that shooter. it was an early christmas gift for some military families in arizona on thursday when 60 soldiers returned from an 11-month deployment to afghanistan. as you can see, plenty of kisses and hugs to go around. well deserved, too. a bizarre medical case in kansas. doctors treating a 7-month-old girl for what they thought was a swollen gland pulled a two-inch feather from her neck. no one knows how it got there but thankfully little maya is now doing just fine and recovering.

in jacksonville, florida, one 11-year-old had to endure pregnancy rumors at school for what turned out to be a near 20-pound tumor near her stomach. doctors removed the tumor which turned out to be noncancerous. a florida realtor decided to install this web come. now it's gone viral. thousands of viewers from around the world are now keeping tabs on ozzie and harriet on ustream waiting for their eggs to hatch. instructors say dangling from the cloth hammocks takes strain off the lower body and offers a better stretch. good luck with that. in sports within thursday night football, bengals/eagles. cincinnati came from behind piling up the points against philadelphia in the second half as it fights for a wild card spot. bengals, 34-13 over the eagles.

during the second quarter of the game two players got their face masks stuck together and an official had to separate the helmets. a friendly good-bye. slugger josh hamilton leaves texas to sign with the los angeles angels for five years at 125 million bucks. in the nba, carmelo anthony gave the knicks a big lead over the lakers. that is until he twisted an ankle and had to leave the game. new york beat los angeles 116-107. the scoreboard tells an incredible story of an indiana high school team that ran up the score and finished with a 107-2 victory. but it kind of seems like the mercy rule may have been a good idea here, guys. come on. finally in australia, 12-year-old runner james gallagher proves you should never give up. he's way behind as he finished a relay race. he ran so fast he looked jet propelled there. look at him. he finished first.

that's the big question this morning. could we be watching the next usain bolt? we shall see. for another check of the weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins. thanks, lynn. you'll get yourself a beautiful start to your weekend along with everyone else in the areas of new england. picture perfect weather as we go throughout this friday and saturday. we should be above average, temperatures nice in the sunlight. as we go into sun, that's when things change. storm system in the great lakes on saturday will move into the region on sunday. it's not going to pour but it will be damp all day long. it could be cold in england, freezing rain, some snow, changing over to all rain. the next storm behind it, this is the one for the weekend. monday and tuesday, a new storm just off the coast, if this one's close enough this could be a coastal storm, lynn. we'll have to bear watching for the middle of next week. back to you. >> thanks so much. lindsay lohan's storage

locker will be auctioned off. michael douglas and matt damon as liberace and his chauffeur. plus, today is the big day for the highly anticipated return to middle earth. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ emily jo ] darrell comes into starbucks almost every weekend. darrell hasn't been able to visit his mom back east in a long time. [ mom ] things are sometimes a little tight. i wasn't able to go to the wedding. [ emily jo ] since darrell couldn't get home, we decided to bring home to him and then just gave him a little bit of help finding his way. ♪ [ laughs ] [ applause ] i love you. i love you. [ male announcer ] get together at the rekindle share event. buy one holiday drink, get one free this thursday through sunday.

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a 2,000-year-old copy of the ten commandments was recently published online. though it's awkward when you read you shalt not steal using your neighbor's wi-fi. police had to break up a fight with two neighbors by the last names hall and oates.

when the guys heard the police sirens they were like ♪ oh oh here they come the hobbit could bring in over 100 million bucks. storage wars may have a special episode coming up. bill would have so much to say about this. lindsay lohan's storage locker will be auctioned off later this month because she can't pay the $16,000 she owes. that crazy build a death star petition, the "star wars" space station is estimated to cost around 852 qrudrillion dollars. matt damon has been acting in a biopic.

today is my last show. i want to thank all of the friends and colleagues that i work with here. it has been such a pleasure. you make it a pleasure to come to work each morning. that's an understatement. to bill karins who conveniently snuck out of the studio to do "way too early," thank you for every day feeling miserably at one-upping me. honestly, i have been lucky to sit next to you. to all of you at home, thank you for spending these early hours with us each day. it has been wonderful to be with you. "way too early" is next. did you want the job? >> i would have been very honored to serve in that job. just as i'm delighted to do what i'm doing. yes, sure. how can you not want to -- in my field serve at the highest possibev